Space band cleaning machine



\ Jan. 1, 1957 M. H. HARTZELL SPACE BAND CLEANING MACHINE Filed Feb. 1e, 1955 nited States Patent() SPACE BAND CLEANING MACHINE Maurice Hartzell, Chester, Pa.

Application February 16, 1955, Serial No. 488,673

9 Claims. (Cl. 15-102) This invention relates to space band cleaning machines. As is well known, type metal frequently adheres to that portion of the space band where the metal initially impinges when the band is in use. In space band cleaning machines of the chain feeding type this metal is initially scraped off of the band and the band is then polished between upper and lower polishing members to which graphite is supplied. In aggravated cases the space band may not be adequately cleaned and polished by such operations in the machines heretofore used.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved machine that will insure highly effective cleaning and polishing of bands under either adverse or normal circumstances with minimum wear of the bands.

A further object of my invention is to provide cleaning mechanism that is relatively simple in construction, operation and maintenance and that can be easily adapted to cleaning machines of the chain feeding type.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view showing my invention applied to chain feed type of space band cleaning machine;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. l

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a perspective of a special chain link with a yieldable pressure roller; and

Fig. 5 is a modified link employing a pressure spring finger instead of the roller of Fig. 4.

While my invention has various features of broad significance applic-able to space band cleaning in general, yet, for purposes of illustration, the invention is shown as being specifically applied to chain feeding types of space band cleaning machines and more particularly as applied to a machine s uch as is disclosed in Donehower et al. Patent No. 2,688,413 which is incorporated herein by reference insofar as is necessary to understand the construction and mode of operation of my present invention.

In such a machine usual space bands, having an elongated tapered body portion 1 and a usual thin telescoping portion 2 with its lateral ears 3, are fed longitudinally from a suitable magazine (not shown) onto a horizontal guideway 4. The space bands are then carried along the guideway 4 by a pair of usual driven feed chains 5 and 6 provided with inwardly and downwardly turned lugs 7 and 8 which engage the band ears 3. Sets of such lugs are carrier by the feed chains at spaced intervals so that the bands successively follow each other. The bands are initially carried usually beneath a knife (not shown) or other mechanism for scrapping, if desired, type metal from the band portion 2 to which the metal generally adheres. The band then passe-s beneath a graphite feeding block 10 which, as shown in said Donehower patent, agitates and feeds graphite from a 2,775,777 'Patented Jan. 1, 1957 suitable hopper 11 downwardly onto the space band as it passes beneath the lifts block 10.

The band then moves along to ride upon the surface of a polishing strip 12 made of any suitable hard coarse type of material such as automobile brake lining usually made of fibrous material embedded in a hardened binder matrix. This material is of such surface texture as to remove any remaining metal and to polish the entire length of band under the action of graphite which is carried over onto this cleaning and polishing strip. To insure thorough cleaning and polishing of the vital localized portion 2 of the space band I provide means, generally indicated at 13, Fig. 4, for applying to one surface of a space band a localized pressure while relative movement occurs between the other side of the band and the polishing strip. The pressure applying element continuously travels with the space band portion 2 to apply the localized pressure thereto during its travel over the cleaning strip 12. This pressure element is moved with the band by being formed as one link of an endless chain 14 which is superimposed over the polishing surface and is guided in its path along the polishing strip by bearing upwardly against a cover l5 and thence through suitable openings therein around curved guiding means preferably in the form of a sheet metal guide loop 16 which is secured to the cover 15. The pressure means 13 not only has a link portion 17 with usual chain link pivots but also has downwardly extending feet 18 to be engaged by feeding lugs 7 and 8 of the two chains as shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 3. Thus by engagement of the feet 18 with the lugs, the two band feeding chains slidably move the pressure applying chain 14 over its orbit-al guiding surfaces at the same speed as the feeding chains and in doing so a pressure roller 2t) applies a localized pressure on the band portion 2 and maintains pressure at that local area throughout travel of the band over the polishing strip. The roller 20 is mounted in a suitable ar-m 21 pivoted at 22 in link 17 while a spring 23, Fig. l, interposed between the arm and link, yieldably urges the roller downwardly into contact with the band.

In addition to the pressure roller 20 I may, if desired, provide members 25, Fig. l, preferably small at leaf springs, attached to certain of the pressure chain links 14 either to exert a slight downward pressure on the trailing end of the space band 1 for polishing purposes or to act only as vertical stops with or without downward pressure to provide a steadying force to prevent the trailing end of the band from jumping up or vibrating as it is pulled along the polishing strip 12. A simplied driving action of the pressure applying chain 14 is obtained by providing preferably three of the pressure elements 1? as shown in Fig. l and they are equally spaced yso that one pressure element is always in engagement ,with a set of chain lugs 7 and 8 thereby insuring continuous driving and synchronous movement of all chains and proper positioning of the pressure rollers 20 on the bands as the bands pass over the polishing strip. The pressure chain is formed of links of suitable length to insure proper spacing of the pressure element 13. The ent-ire pressure applying means may be provided with a cover 26 whose sides 27, Fig. 3, also serve as a lateral guide for the upper strand of chain 14 by reason of the pressure element 13 being almost as wide as the width of the cover. Similarly, the pressure element 13 serves as a guide on its lower path of movement by traveling in a groove 28 of the cover 15.

By utilizing a roller 20 it can roll over the abrading and polishing strip 12 whenever a space band is not being fed through the machine thereby avoiding wear of the istrip. However, if desired, a iiat leaf type pressure spring 29, Fig. 5, may be mounted upon the link 17 and provided with a curved lower end for engaging the band port-ion 2 and exerting a yielding pressure force thereto equivalent to the action of the roller and spring 23.

From the foregoing disclosure it is seen that I have provided an extremely effective means for cleaning and polishing space bands particularly in a localized area thereof and for polishing the entire length of the band. lf it is necessary to clean and polish the band on both sides, the space bands may be run through the machine a second time in inverted position. The self-contained propelling means utilizing the band feeding chains provides an extremely simple and yet positive propelling and synchronizing force for the pressure chain 14 with minimum mechanical driving complications although, if desired, any equivalent synchronizing and driving means may be provided between the pressure chain i4 and the band feeding chains. The term cleaning in the claims hereof is simply a broad term intended to encompass either polishing aud/or cleaning, it being impossible to signify in advance the initial condition of a given band at the time it is fed into the machine.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art without depanting from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

l claim:

l. A space band cleaning machine comprising, in combination, means providing a cleaning surface, means for effecting relative feeding movement between said surface and a space band in a direction lengthwise thereof to clean one side `of the band, and means engageable with the space band on one side thereof and having relative movement with said surface in said lengthwise direction but bcing substantially immovable relative to the band during engagement therewith for applying and maintaining during said relative feeding movement a pressure at a localized area on the other side of the band near the end thereof.

2. A space band cleaning machine comprising, in combination means providing a cleaning surface, means the space band and movable continuously direction to feed the band over said surface, means for applying pressure on a space band at a localized area ear the end thereof, and means for moving said pressure applying means in synchronism with said feeding means so as to maintain the pressure in its localized area as the band passes over said cleaning surface.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 further characterized in that the pressure applying means includes a yicldable roller adapted to non-rotatably rest on a space band when applying pressure thereto and to roll over the cleaning surface in the absence of a band.

4. A space band cleaning machine comprising, in combination, means providing a cleaning surface, chain mechanism provided with means for engaging a space band to feed bands along said cleaning surface, an element for applying pressure to a localized area of the band, and means engageable by said band engaging means to move said pressure applying element simultaneously with the space band as it travels over said cleaning surface.

CII

5. A machine for cleaning space bands having usual lateral ears, means providing a surface for cleaning one side of a space band, band feeding chains located one on each side of said surface to move continuously in a direction lengthwise of the surface, lugs extending inwardly from each chain to engage the band ears to feed the band along said cleaning surface, an endless chain superimposed over said cleaning surface and extending lengthwise thereof7 and pressure applying means carried by said superimposed chain and having means engageable by said feeding chain lugs so that the superimposed chain and pressure element carried thereby are driven at the same speed as the space band, whereby the localized pressure is maintained on the band as it travels along said cleaning surface.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5 further characterized in that the feeding chains have a plurality of sets of lugs to move bands successively along the cleaning surface, and the superimposed chain has a plurality of pressure applying elements spaced apart so that at all times at least one set of feeding chain lugs are in position to drive the feeding chains.

7. The combination set forth in claim 5 further characterized in that the superimposed chain moves in an orbit with one strand substantially parallel to the cleaning surface and curving upwardly at each end to an upper strand whereby when the pressure element moves along its lower strand it is inue'ngagement with the chain feeding lugs and is disengaged therefrom when moving upwardly around one endif the orbit and is returned to engaging position when moved downwardly around the other end of the orbit.

8. The combination set forth in claim 5 further characterized in that the superimposed chain moves in an orbit with one strand substantially parallel to the cleaning surface and curving upwardly at each end to an upper strand whereby when the pressure element moves along its lower strand it is in engagement with the chain feeding lugs and is disengaged therefrom when moving upwardly around one end of the orbit and is returned to engaging position when moving downwardly around the other end of the orbit, and a plurality of said pressure elements being mounted on said superimposed chain and spaced apart so that two of said pressure elements are simultaneously substantially in engagement with spaced sets of feeding chain lugs whereby when one pressure element is disengaged by being moved upwardly around one end of its orbit the other pressure element is adapted to be driven by the next set of lugs thereby to maintain the superimposed chain in driving relation at all times to the feed chains.

9. The combination set forth in claim 5 further characterized by the provision of means having orbital guiding surfaces over which the superimposed chain slides.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

